Productivity
by angellwings
Summary: JONAS. After three years of separation Macy is reunited with the Lucas boys. Nick/Macy.
1. Nannying

**A/N: Okay first of all, I want to say that this story is for faerietaleredux. Her reviews are always detailed and amazing and they never fail to make my day brighter. I asked her if she had any story requests and she asked for either Joe/Macy or Nick/Macy, and thus she gave me a Nacy bunny. Enjoy! **

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Productivity**

**(1/4)**

By angellwings

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Macy pulled into her employer's drive way at one o'clock sharp. This was her one weekend to work this month. She was a part time nanny for a rich family in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was very convenient for her as it was very close to her school. She was in her third year at UNC Chapel Hill. She was majoring in Physical Education and thought nannying would give her good experience. The family she worked for had two twin eight year old boys and a twelve year old daughter. Macy picked them up from school on weekdays, took them to practices and rehearsals, fixed dinner and then left when the parents arrived home from work. Usually her hours were from 2 PM to 7 PM every weekday, and lately she had been working one Saturday night a month while Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis went out on a date night. They had asked her to come in early this Saturday to help them with a surprise they had for Lila, their twelve year old daughter. The twins were staying with their grandparents so it would just be Macy and Lila.

When she walked through the door she was greeted by a delighted squeal.

"Ohmigosh! Thank you! Thank you so much!" Lila screamed as she jumped up and down.

Macy smiled softly at the girl as she spotted a pair of tickets in her hand. She remembered fondly the days that she would get so excited about-

"-a Jonas concert!"

Macy's head jerked toward Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis, "What?"

"Macy! They got me tickets to a Jonas concert!"

"Don't worry, dear, I've heard that they actually put on an excellent show," Mrs. Jarvis said consolingly.

Macy almost snickered at the fact that Mrs. Jarvis felt the need to tell HER, Macy Misa, that Jonas put on a good show. After all she was Jonas's number one-

Macy froze and bit back a sigh. Well she wasn't really any more was she? She supposed she was Jonas's _former_ number one super fan. All she knew about them anymore was what she saw on the covers of all the gossip magazines while she waited in line to pay for groceries. Or what she heard in passing from Stella. She still listened to their music but Super Fan she was not. For instance she knew Joe was the same (still chasing girls to use as substitutes for Stella), Kevin was dating Frankie's former baby sitter, and Nick was dating some up and coming pop sensation (who's name Macy couldn't remember).

But that was all she knew.

Stella had once asked why she had stopped following Jonas and Macy could only give her one sad explanation. Peer pressure. College had shown her that being a Jonas Super Fan was for some reason NOT considered cool. At first she had worn her shirts and posted her pictures up in her room proudly, but there was only so much scoffing a person could take. She had gotten tired of being called immature so…she decided to grow up. Besides all she had ever done as a fan was manage to beat up her favorite band. She wasn't even able to truly enjoy being friends with them.

"You ladies will need to leave soon of you're going to eat before the show. It will take you close to four hours to get to Charlotte," Mr. Jarvis said with a smile.

Macy nodded and mutely motioned for Lila to go get dressed. She sat down on the couch in the living room and texted Stella.

"_So you know how you wanted to meet up while you were in NC?"_

Macy called up for Lila to hurry as her phone vibrated. It was a text from Stella.

"_Yeah, so?"_

"_Well, it looks like we can. I've got to chaperone one of the kids to the concert tonight."_

"_The Jonas concert? You're coming?"_

"_Yeah, we'll be there around 5:30."_

"_You have to come to the venue and eat with us! There's plenty of food! And before you say no you should picture me giving you a puppy dog face. I haven't seen you in ages. Please?"_

Macy sighed. How could she say no to that? Hopefully Lila wasn't as big of a fan as she used to be.

"_Alright, but if you're not waiting for us at the restricted access door when we get there I'm taking Lila to eat somewhere else. Deal?"_

"_Deal. See you at 5:30!"_

Macy shook her head. She was probably going to regret this.

* * *

_I hope you guys will like this! I'm kind of worried since this will be my first Nate/Macy story. I had to create Kevin a girlfriend to keep myself from writing Kacy. The next part should be coming soon! Enjoy!_

_angellwings  
_


	2. Gate Crashing

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Productivity**

**(2/4)

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"Ms. Macy? Where are we going?" Lila asked curiously as they walked around to the back of the venue.

"We're meeting a friend of mine for dinner," Macy said vaguely.

"At the back entrance? Ms. Macy is your friend…a Jonas?" Lila asked hopefully.

"No, but she's close enough," Macy chuckled. The gate came into sight and Macy smiled as she spotted Stella's blonde head standing next to Big Man.

"Macy Misa it's been a long time since I've seen you trying to crash a gate," Big Man chuckled as he pressed the button beside the gate in order to open it.

"It's been a long time since I tried," Macy smirked in return. "I haven't been to a Jonas concert in years."

"I know, and I'm not happy about that," Stella muttered playfully as the gate opened far enough for her to jerk Macy and Lila through. Stella hugged Macy tightly, "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

Lila was frozen to her spot, "You're-you're Stella Malone! You're THEIR stylist!"

"I'm assuming that by 'their' she means Jonas?" Stella asked Macy with a laugh.

"Who else?" Macy grinned.

"Ms. Macy why didn't you tell me you knew Stella Malone!" Lila yelled in outrage.

"You're about to learn a lot about Ms. Macy, kid," Stella smirked. "C'mon, let's go eat."

Lila and Macy followed Stella through the wide hallways in the back of the venue until they reached a large room with a humongous spread of food. There was all kinds of sandwich fixings and meat and a variety of steamed vegetables. It all looked delicious.

"Help yourselves," Stella said as she motioned to the tables of food. Lila sprinted forward and grabbed a plate. She eagerly piled good on to the plate in her hands.

"Wow, I thought the guys were passed that eating a herd of cows phase? Wasn't that a teenager thing?" Macy asked in amazement.

"Apparently not, the label spends more on food than Kevin spends on guitars," Stella chuckled. "And we all know that Kevin spends A LOT of money on guitars."

"Well, what are we standing here for? Let's eat," Macy said as she and Stella made their way to the table. By the time they had reached the line Lila was done and had sat down to start eating. Macy kept an eye on her as she piled up her own plate. Lila froze for the second time that evening and Macy turned worriedly to see what had caused her to tense up. Her eyes widened and the breath in her throat caught. There standing in the doorway, in all their rock and roll glory, was Jonas.

Stella smiled at her friend. She was glad to see that the old Macy wasn't completely gone.

"Breathe, Mace," Stella told her. Macy gulped and returned to arranging the food on her plate. She was passed this now. She had grown up. She took a breath and dared a glance at the Lucas Brothers. Her eyes happened to meet with Nick's, and she couldn't help but brighten at the smile she saw on his face. Nick, the serious one, was smiling at her. She could feel the long buried fan girl attempting to beat her way to the surface. Nick rarely smiled…especially the kind of smile he was smiling at her right now.

"Macy!" Kevin yelled excitedly as all three of the Lucas Brother's rushed her. Before she realized what was happening she was trapped in a Lucas-Misa sandwich.

"If you ever stay away for three years or more again we will hunt you down, clear?" Nick muttered into her hair with a smirk.

"Seriously, it hurts our rep when our Super Fan suddenly disappears," Joe agreed.

She laughed genuinely, "I get it guys, can you let me go now?"

"No," Nick said as he shook his head. "We can't let you go until you promise not to stay away that long ever again."

Macy smiled and sighed contentedly, "Okay, I promise!"

The guys released her and backed away. Joe moved to stand beside Stella, and Kevin moved to the other side of Joe, but Nick stayed right where he was. He remained standing mere inches from Macy. Macy looked back at Lila and chuckled at the girls shocked expression. Macy motioned to Lila.

"You guys get your food. I'm going to go speak to Lila. I think she's about to pass out," Macy smiled. Macy noticed Nick move to follow her and gave him a questioning glance. She realized they hadn't seen each other in a long time, but since when was he so clingy? Stella seemed to be giving him a similar look. He shrugged and quickly retreated to get a plate. Macy took herself and her plate over to the table where Lila was sitting.

"How are you holding up Lila?" She asked with an encouraging smile.

"I-you-you KNOW Jonas!" She exclaimed. "They…squished you! In a Jonas sandwich! How do you know them?"

"We went to school together," She said simply.

"So you're…their friend?" Lila asked in an impressed tone. "That's so cool!"

Stella and the guys sat down at the table with them, and Lila let out an excited squeak but didn't say a word. Macy knew instantly that Lila was almost as big of a fan as she had once been. Kevin sat down on the other side of Lila.

"Could you pass the pepper?" He asked.

Lila nodded wordlessly and held out the pepper toward Kevin, but before he could take it from her it slipped from her fingers. She desperately reached out to catch it before it hit the ground and accidentally smacked Kevin's arm. The pepper shaker bounced off of her other hand and smacked Kevin in the nose. The pepper shaker broke and exploded all over the table. Kevin sneezed violently and Lila and Macy sputtered.

"Sorry," Lila mumbled pathetically.

"Wow," Nick said with a snicker from his spot beside Macy. "You definitely have been spending a lot of time with Macy."

Macy burst out laughing and patted Lila's back consolingly, "Don't worry, Lil, I've done worse."

"I have to admit," Kevin said as he dusted the pepper off of his shirt. "That was pretty impressive."

Lila covered her face with her hands in embarrassment.

"What's your name?" Joe asked with a kind smile.

"Lila," She whispered.

"Well, Lila, don't even worry about it. We're used to it," Nick said with a nod.

"Seriously, these guys have been through worse," Stella promised.

"That's right," Macy agreed. "I nearly broke Kevin's foot with a bowling ball once. Oh, and I also caused him to pass out when I sang. What else did I do?"

She turned toward Stella and the guys thoughtfully, "Do you guys remember?"

Nick smiled at her fondly, "You've done way too much for me to remember all of it."

She laughed merrily, "I suppose I have."

"Nicky!" cried a platinum blonde as she entered the room. Macy noticed Stella roll her eyes, and she couldn't resist looking at this girl for herself. Her hair was pin straight and she had straight razor edged bangs that covered the majority of her fore head. It was clearly done in a chic Beverly Hills salon. She was wearing a shimmery black miniskirt, pale pink tights, black kitten heels, and a bright pink satin halter top. The outfit was completed by a small black vest and a black and white argyle patterned fedora. Macy was instantly envious of her. She was clearly the pop sensation Nick was dating. Macy examined her outfit self consciously. She was wearing jeans and cute but plain blue gingham button up blouse. Definitely not half as glamorous as the girl that just walked in.

"Carson?" He asked in surprise. "I thought you had a show in New Mexico?"

"Hannah rearranged the show dates. The show in Albuquerque was pushed back so I thought I would surprise you," She said with a bright perfect smile. Nick flashed her a small smile but glanced hesitantly back at Macy. He stood and met Carson in the middle of the room. He hugged her and kissed her cheek before grabbing her hand and leading her toward the table.

"Carson these are our friends Macy and Lila. Macy and Lila this is Carson Matba. She was our opening act for the first leg of the tour," Nick announced as he motioned for Joe to scoot over to make room for Carson on the other side of him.

"Macy?" Carson asked as she glanced at Macy with a smile. "Stella's friend?"

Macy nodded and bit back a wince. Why did that feel like an insult? Wasn't she a friend of the Lucas Brothers as well?

"That would be me," Macy said softly with a forced smile.

"Well, she's our friend too, Car, not just Stella's," Nick corrected her kindly.

"Oh, well of course. Any friend of Stella's is a friend of yours right?" Carson asked rhetorically.

Nick gave Macy an apologetic look and nodded.

Macy cleared her throat and glanced at her watch, "Wow, well would you look at the time. We better finish eating Lila. We wouldn't want to miss the best part of a concert."

"And what's that?" Kevin asked.

"The excitement and the build up. I've been to enough Jonas concerts to know that nothing is more entertaining than several thousand Jonas fans gathering in the same place," Macy smirked.

"Wait a second," Nick said as feigned shock and put a hand to his chest. "You mean **I'm** not the best part of the show?"

Macy raised an eyebrow at him playfully, "Wow, I think you and Joe need some time away from each other, Nicholas."

Lila watched their interactions carefully. It was obvious to see the groups easy friendship. It seemed to her that Macy and Nick were awfully close or had been at some point because they were being awfully familiar. It was hard to believe that Macy hadn't seen these guys in three years. They talked like they had spoken yesterday. She also noticed that Carson wasn't exactly comfortable with Macy's friendship with the Lucas Brothers. Lila finished the last bite of her sandwich and took a sip of her water.

"We can go if you're ready, Ms. Macy," Lila said with a smile.

"Ms. Macy?" Carson asked with interest. "Wait, are you a nanny?"

She didn't give Macy a chance to answer before she spoke up again, "Oh that is just adorable. A soccer mom in training."

Macy winced inwardly at the snippy tone in Carson's voice. Her expression said she was being friendly but her voice clearly said she didn't want Macy around. Macy decided to brush it off and pretend she didn't notice.

She shrugged, "Nothing wrong with being a soccer mom, but I'd prefer being the soccer coach."

Nick smiled at her, "I would love to be at that game. You would probably coach the most intimidating elementary school soccer team ever."

Macy chuckled, "I'll have to remember to send you an invite when it happens."

Macy stood up and threw her trash away. She picked up Lila's as well and motioned for the young girl to follow her.

"Hey, we will see you guys later?" Nick asked urgently as Macy stood up to leave.

"Um, not tonight. I have to have Lila home and in bed as soon as the concerts over," Macy answered sadly.

Carson's eyes flashed ecstatically, "Oh, well that's too bad. We were just starting to get to know each other."

"So, this is the last we're gonna see you for a long while then?" Stella asked in concern.

"Looks that way," Macy said with a sigh.

Lila's brow furrowed, "But don't you guys have a show in Raleigh next Friday?"

Kevin smacked himself in the foreheard, "Lila, you're a genius!"

She giggled and blushed furiously, "Thanks."

"You know, instead of going all the way back to Jersey we could just hang out here for a week," Joe suggested. "It's not like we have anything to do."

Nick, once again, smiled brightly at Macy and Macy felt faint. She had to remind herself to breath for the first time since she left Jersey. That smile would turn her legs to mush even if it **wasn't** directed at her. Macy had always thought it would be awkward to see the Lucas boys again, but it almost felt like she had never been gone. In the months before high school graduation she had felt like she and Nick had formed a pretty close friendship. They had talked about a lot of things, and Macy had unfortunately been the person he came to for girl advice. Not that any of those girls he chased were good enough for him. She wasn't sure anyone could be good enough for him.

"I think that sounds like a brilliant plan!" Macy yelled excitedly. "You should really stay! We could hang out some more. It would almost be like-"

"Old times?" Nick said as he finished her sentence.

"Exactly," Macy breathed happily.

"Could I come?" Lila asked shyly. Macy smiled warmly at her.

"If your parents say it's okay," Macy told her honestly.

Lila smiled and looked toward the others, "Really?"

Joe nodded, "I'm cool with it. You guys okay with it?"

Kevin, Nick, and Stella all voiced affirmative responses simultaneously. Lila squealed excitedly.

"Jonas wants to hang out with me," She said in shock. "Me!"

Macy laughed lightly as Lila headed out of the room first. She turned and waved good bye.

"I'll see all of you later," She grinned.

"Definitely," Nick agreed happily.

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_Okay I'm going ahead and posting the second part against my better judgement. Usually i wait for a couple more reviews than what I've got, but that first part I posted was really short...so I'm going to go ahead and post the second part...enjoy!_

_angellwings  
_


	3. Meddling

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Productivity**

**(3/4)

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Stella quirked an eyebrow, and wondered, once again, what Nick's deal was. He was acting very strangely since he'd seen Macy. If he wasn't careful Carson was going to become very miffed. No scratch that. Carson was already very miffed, and she, for some reason, thought Stella actually cared. While the guys reported to their dressing rooms for their call time Carson began ranting worriedly.

"Was he acting strangely? I mean you've known him longer than I have…wasn't he smiling a little _too_ much at your friend?"

Stella had yet to answer her. The girl just kept talking, and was NOT taking the hint. So, Stella tried walking away and checking on the tour wardrobe to make sure there were no last minute Joe-Emergencies (for some reason his wardrobe seemed to cause her the most stress). Even though Stella didn't care a bit for Carson she had to admit that the girl was right. Nick had been a little too happy to see Macy. That smile had only been used on girls that he was interested in. "Interested in" meaning crushing on. With that in mind Stella realized that she could understand why Carson was so worried, and if the girl wasn't such a fake fame hog Stella would sympathize with her. But clearly walking away wasn't going to stop her. Carson walked with her.

"I mean it's not like I should be worried right? Surely he wouldn't ditch **me** for a nanny," Carson scoffed.

Stella ground her teeth. That was Macy she was talking about. The girl better watch it.

"Did you see her? That top was…boring. Just like her. Why would he want someone so bland when I'm standing right here," Carson said with a hair flip.

Stella stopped walking and turned sharply to face her, "I don't care who's girlfriend you are if you insult my best friend one more time I will beat you with my Jimmy Choo, clear?"

Carson gulped, "Clear."

"Good, and while we're on the subject I want you to know that I think Macy would be much better for Nick than you," Stella said with a roll of her eyes.

"I'm sorry, what?" She asked in shock.

"You're only dating Nick for his connections, sweetie. I think he deserves someone who is interested in him not the perks that come with him. But it doesn't matter because I'm almost positive Nick is over you. See unlike you Macy has staying power. _She's_ not a fad," Stella told her bitingly. "Now if you don't mind I'm going to make sure the guys are okay with their out fits."

Stella stomped off and left Carson behind in stunned silence. Stella had wanted to say that since Nick went on his first date with the pop star. When was that boy going to start dating nice girls? First there was Penny (who Stella considered a less annoying version of Carson), then there was Maria (the girl he knew nothing about), and Amy (the whiney girl who didn't understand that she was dating a rock star). There had been others, but those were the ones that stuck out to Stella the most. She knocked softly on Kevin's door. He opened it distractedly and waved her in. He was on the phone. Stella could tell he was talking to Katie, his girlfriend and Frankie's former babysitter. Katie was the only Jonas girlfriend that she had ever liked. The girl was down to earth and supportive and managed to share Kevin's rather out there sense of humor. Essentially perfect for him. Stella scanned the wardrobe rack in his dressing room and made sure there were no stains or rips. She gave him a thumbs up and left the room. She approached Nick's dressing room next. Nick was dressed in his first outfit for the concert and was scribbling on some sheet music when she walked in. He looked up and gave her half of a distracted smile.

"Hey Nick," She greeted him suspiciously. He looked up at her slowly.

"What do you want to ask me, Stell?" He said with a sigh.

"A lot of things like when are you going to break it off with the fame hunting diva or why were you so thrilled to see Macy again," She said as she turned and flipped through his outfits.

Nick sighed, "As for the Carson question. I'm working on it. I'm trying to figure out how to do it without making a scene."

"And Macy?"

He smiled softly, "I don't know, I missed her I guess. We became pretty close once you guys graduated, you know."

Stella nodded, "I remember. You hung out after her practices almost every day for a while."

"Yeah, I forced her to listen to my ridiculous girl problems…"

Stella chuckled, "And now you force me to listen to them instead."

"Stella?" He asked thoughtfully. "Have you ever not realized what you had? Or maybe ignore what you had on purpose because you were an immature idiot?"

"I don't know Nick, have _you_ done those things?" She asked as she suppressed a grin.

He groaned, "Yes."

"Let me guess…Macy?"

"I should have seen it when she was right in front of me," Nick told her. "But I kept ignoring it…avoiding it. I didn't want to risk changing anything, and then there was the amount of teasing I knew I would get for dating our Super Fan…"

"Basically you were stupid," Stella told him bluntly.

He sighed and nodded wordlessly.

"Well, I'd say fate has given you a second chance and you probably shouldn't waste it," Stella told him with a small smile before her brow furrowed in confusion. "How did I not see this sooner? I pride myself and seeing these things, and yet I somehow missed the Nick and Macy connection. I might be losing my Stella-Sense!"

Nick grinned at her, "Maybe I was just really good at disguising it?"

She glared at him thoughtfully, "Well, you do pine after a LOT of girls. Maybe the Macy pining got confused with one of those."

"It is possible," He smirked.

"Wait, if I let you pursue Macy…you're not going to drop her after a couple of weeks are you?" Stella asked in concern.

"She's not a passing fad, Stell, trust me on this one."

"She better not be, Lucas," Stella said with a glare as she headed for the door. "Don't damage my friend."

Nick promised not to as she left. She smiled brightly and wondered how Macy would feel if she knew Nick had been crushing on her for four years. If they were still in High School Stella would say she would faint, but Stella didn't think that was so anymore. She hummed a happy tune as she headed for Joe's dressing room, and hoped she would still be in this great of a mood once she entered Joe's dressing room. She knocked on the door and Joe immediately answered. Stella knew something was wrong. His face was flushed and his eyes were wide with fear.

"Stella! I didn't think I would be seeing you until-"

"What did you do?"

"Me? Nothing. I did nothing. My jelly doughnut on the other hand…well it's just plain treacherous!"

Stella took a deep breath, "You got jelly on your shirt didn't you?"

He scoffed and blew a dry raspberry into the air, "No."

She quirked an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Okay, yes! But I didn't mean to I swear!"

"Shirt," Stella requested as she held out her hand for the soiled shirt. He fearfully placed it into her hand and backed away. She unwadded the shirt and examined the damage. The stain nearly dripped down the entire length of the shirt. "How in the world did you do this?"

He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck, "Luck?"

"Why were you even eating a jelly doughnut? We just had dinner!" Stella exclaimed with a shake of her head. "Really Joe, sometimes it feels like you do these things on purpose."

"Look at it this way, you get to spend more time with me. That's always a plus," He said with a guilty smile.

She sighed, "Sometimes I really hate the Lucas family charm. I could be doing a normal boring internship at some small fashion design company if you boys weren't so darn persuasive."

"I'm charming and persuasive, huh?" He asked with a grin as he leaned casually against the door frame.

She glared at him, "Don't push it."

His eyes widened and he straightened up, "Yes, Ma'am."

"Hey, Big Man!" Stella called down the hallway. "I need seltzer, a Tide to-go pen, and a rag."

Big Man nodded and sprinted to do as Stella asked. She turned and pointed to Joe.

"You, in there," She demanded. "We need to talk."

"Talk? Really? Come on, Stells, it was just a little jelly!" Joe cried pleadingly.

She rolled her eyes, "Not about that, dummy. About your younger brother and a certain former Super Fan."

Joe groaned, "You want to meddle, don't you?"

She gave him a bored look, "Duh!"

"Do we have to?" He whined. "There's gonna be enough drama around here once Nick breaks up with the Disco Diva wannabe do we have to add matchmaking to the mix?"

"Hello? Do you even KNOW me? Of course we do!" She huffed as she pulled him back inside of his dressing room.

"This better be worth it," Joe muttered as he closed his door behind her.

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_I'm loving the response this story is getting! You guys are hilarious! I'm so glad everyone dislikes Carson so much! Really! Ha ha! I hope you guys liked this update! Enjoy!_

_angellwings_


	4. Confronting

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Productivity**

**(4/4)

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**

Stella knew what she had to do, and the guys did as well. The first step was to convince Macy to help Nick break up with Carson. Should be simple enough. Let it slip that Nick couldn't figure out how to break up with his popstar girlfriend, and then the guys would tell Nick he might need to seek out a girls advice. Stella would tell him she didn't have time to help him at the moment, and Nick would have no choice but to go to Macy. This would lead to several conversations about relationships (and possibly a new Jonas song). The second step was to make sure Nick worked up the courage to make a move on Macy. That job belonged to Kevin and Joe.

Hopefully they wouldn't need the third step. But Stella had it prepared just in case.

"Are we ready?" Stella asked Joe and Kevin the next morning as they pulled up outside of their hotel in Chapel Hill.

"As ready as we're going to be," Kevin said with a sigh. They approached the counter where their father Tom was checking them in with Nick and Carson by his side. Carson had invited herself to Chapel Hill, and swore that she had at least two more days before she had to be back in Albuquerque for her concert.

"Remember," Stella whispered to the two eldest Lucas Brothers. "If we do this right Carson will be out and Macy will be in by the end of the week. That's the goal."

"Right," Kevin muttered. "Carson out; Macy in. Got it."

Stella texted Macy to let her know that they had arrived at their hotel. She warned her friend that Carson was with them. Macy's response came quicker than Stella expected.

"_Oh joy, why did she come?" _

"_She's clinging to the wreckage."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_She knows that Nick is about to break up with her and she's freaking out."_

"_Nick's about to break up with her?"_

"_Yes, he just doesn't know how he should do it."_

"_He should just tell her the truth as bluntly as he can. It's the only way she'll take the hint. Trust me, my step sister is exactly like her."_

"_You should tell him that."_

"_Can't you tell him for me?"_

"_I could, but I'm not sure he would listen."_

"_Why would he listen to me over you?"_

"_It's just a feeling I have."_

"Who are you texting?" Nick asked.

"Macy," Stella told him. "I'm letting her know we're checking in."

"Macy, huh?" Nick asked with a grin. He felt Carson's arm tighten around his and he glanced at her nervously.

"Hey, Nick," Joe said from beside Kevin. "Can we talk to you for a minute?"

"Over there," Kevin added as he pointed to a spot across the room from Carson.

"Yeah," Nick answered a little too quickly as he wriggled out of Carson's grasp and followed his brothers.

"Dude, when are you tossing Carson out on her rear?" Joe asked gruffly.

Kevin rolled his eyes and smacked Joe in the back of the head, "Real sensitive."

"What? Geez, it's not like I'm the sensitive one," He said as he motioned to Nick. "That's his job."

Nick sighed, "I'm trying, but I don't know how to do it. Any advice?"

"From us?" Joe asked with wide eyes. "Are you joking? I've never had a good break up."

"And I _can't_ break up with girls. My voice goes all squeaky and I end up waiting for them to break up with me," Kevin said with a shake of his head. "Ask a girl."

"What?"

"Ask a girl for advice. They probably know how to handle it better than we would," Kevin clarified.

"You think Stella would help?" Nick asked.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to ask her," Joe said with a shrug.

"Right," Nick said with a nod. "Can you guys distract Carson while I talk to Stella?"

"Definitely not a problem," Joe smirked. "I'll tell her I saw a girl earlier wearing her exact same outfit. That will keep her busy for a _while_."

The three brothers rejoined the group and Kevin and Joe surrounded Carson. Nick pulled Stella to the side.

"I need help," He said desperately.

"With what?"

"Breaking up with Carson," He told her quickly.

"Oh, I can't help you with that," She said simply.

"What? Why not?" Nick asked in a low whisper.

"Are you kidding? Did you see that jelly stain on Joe's shirt last night? Who knows what he'll do next…I've got to focus on stain guarding your out fits," She said.

He sighed, "Great, I'm screwed."

She shrugged, "Not really. You could always ask Macy to help."

His brow furrowed, "Wouldn't that be awkward? Asking the girl I've been in love with for four years to help me break up with my current girlfriend?"

"No, I think it would be fine."

"Really?" Nick asked in confusion.

"Yeah, and besides if you don't get help from someone you'll be stuck with the pop princess," Stella said as she motioned to Carson who was angrily pacing in front of his brothers.

"Does Macy still have the same number?" He asked urgently.

Stella grinned victoriously, "No, but I've got her new one if you need it."

"Please," He asked with a sigh. Stella quickly gave him Macy's number and walked off to join the guys as they purposefully caused Carson to freak out. Nick quickly dialed her number. It rang a couple of times before she answered.

"Hello?"

"Macy? It's Nick," He said as he let loose a nervous breath.

"Nick? What's up?"

"Are you coming by here at any point today?"

"I was planning on dropping by for lunch. Why?"

"I need your help with something," He told her.

"Does it have anything to do with Ms. Up-and-Coming-Pop-Sensation?"

"How did you know?" He asked.

"Stella," She answered with a giggle. "Break up troubles?"

"Yes," He sighed, "Any ideas?"

"Pull her aside and be completely honest with her, and I mean completely honest. Do not soften anything. You want to be firm in what you say so she doesn't think you'll be getting back together in a couple of days," Macy suggested.

"That's it?"

"It's a lot more complicated than it sounds," Macy told him seriously.

"Have you had to use that strategy before?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, the last boyfriend I had just couldn't let go as a matter of fact he still can't let go," She told him with a sigh of her own. "Not to mention my step-sister is a diva and a half, and so I have to treat her like that."

"Crap, Carson's coming," Nick said urgently as the blonde stalked toward him. "I'll call you later, Mace, thanks for the advice!"

"Good luck, Nick!" Macy managed to say before he hung up.

"Can we go up to our rooms yet?" Carson snapped.

Tom Lucas looked bewildered and bothered by her tone, but didn't say anything about it.

"I just got our keys," The boys' father told her in a disapproving tone.

"Wonderful, I apparently _must_ change my outfit," She pouted.

Nick cleared his throat, "Carson? Can I talk to you for a minute? In private?"

She forced a sweet smile as she turned to him, "Of course, Nicky."

Stella cleared her throat, "You know I think all of us should head on up to our rooms."

"Why?" Joe asked. Stella rolled her eyes and pulled him behind her by the collar.

"Don't ask questions just do it," She said urgently. Mr. Lucas and Kevin quickly followed the two as they headed toward the elevator.

"Is something wrong?" Carson asked with wide eyes.

He gulped. Macy was right. This was more complicated than it sounded.

* * *

Macy hummed a cheery tune to herself as she entered the hotel lobby, but the happy melody froze in her throat when she saw an angry Carson stomping toward her.

"This is all your fault," The diva sneered to her. Macy's eyes widened as Carson stopped in front of her.

"I'm sorry?" Macy said in confusion.

"This break up…all your fault. We were fine until you waltzed into the venue last night," Carson said with a glare. "I cannot believe he is dumping me for some nobody. He'll be crawling back to me in a matter of days, you'll see."

"Yeah, you're delusional," Macy told her with a shake of her head. "So you lost yourself a rockstar, big deal. Go find another meal ticket. Preferably one that I'm NOT friends with."

"You're nothing special, you know. You're just like all of their other fan girls. A face in the crowd…nothing more," Carson said angrily.

"Carson!" Nick snapped from behind them. "That's enough!"

She turned and glared at him, "Jerk. I won't make it easy for you to come back to me."

Carson pushed passed Macy and shoved the door open violently. Nick and Macy watched her stalk down the street. After a moment of silence Macy spoke up curiously.

"She does realize that this isn't New York and she can't just wave her hand and find a cab, right?" Macy asked.

"Probably not," Nick smirked.

"So, the break up didn't go so well I see?" Macy asked with a knowing smirk.

"I don't think it ever had a chance of going well. Carson's not exactly an easy going person," Nick said with a sigh.

"Why did you date her again?" Macy asked teasingly.

He sighed, "It seemed like the thing to do at the time."

Macy laughed lightly, "I'm sorry, but you do realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?"

He chuckled, "I do now."

"You need to find a nice normal girl. These high strung, crazy charismatic girls just do nothing for you," She said with a smile.

"I'm trying," He told her with a meaningful glance. Macy blushed and looked away from him although she wasn't quite sure why. It's not like he was talking about her.

"Where's everyone else?" She asked.

"They retreated to their rooms when I pulled Carson to the side," Nick told her.

"Sad, they missed the show," Macy said with a small smile.

Nick felt like they should talk about some of the things Carson had said. Macy didn't seem bothered by it, but he had learned early on that with Macy Misa appearances could be deceiving.

"Macy, about what Carson said-"

"Don't worry about, Nick. It's not like I actually believe any of it," She said softly as she studied her shoes. He gave her a stern glance.

"Whether you believe it or not I know that it got to you. If it didn't you'd be able to look at me right now," Nick said as he took a step closer. Macy's breath caught in her throat as Nick took yet another step closer. There was only an inch of space in between them. Macy swallowed thickly.

"Really, I'm fine. Don't worry about it," She mumbled.

"You're not just a face in the crowd, Mace. You never have been," He told her honestly. "You've always been so much more than that."

She breathed deeply and looked up at him. She couldn't help but think that he looked absolutely gorgeous. Not that he hadn't always been gorgeous, but right now…the way he was looking at her made him breathtaking. He meant it. She had no doubt about that. She couldn't remember anyone looking at her the way that he was looking at her right now. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight.

"Thank you," She whispered.

"For what?" He asked.

"For knowing what I needed to hear," She said softly as she continued to hug him with a smile.

He breathed in the smell of her hair and smiled softly. She began to pull away and he fought the urge to pull her back and never let go.

"I really should have stayed in touch with you guys," Macy said with a guilty expression.

"Yeah, you really should have," Nick said with a small playful glare. "But don't worry because I'll never let that happen again."

She chuckled, "Good. Should I make sure that you never date another Carson again?"

Nick smirked. He had a few ideas about how she could do that. He wondered if it was too soon to ask her out. He did just break up with Carson, but…hadn't he waited long enough to make a move on Macy? Would she think he was trying to use her as a rebound if he did make a move?

"Nick?"

"Hmm?" He asked as he shook himself out of his thoughts.

"Everything okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about something," He told her ambiguously.

"Anything you feel like sharing?" She asked.

For a split second he thought about cowering and making up some irrelevant thought, but he ultimately decided that it was now or never.

"Yes, actually," He told her. He took a deep breath, "I've had a crush on you since about halfway through our senior year of high school."

Macy's eyes widened, "You…what? Me? Since when?"

He fought back a chuckle, "I just told you. Since halfway through-"

She smiled a little as she interrupted him, "No, I got that part…I just…really? Me?"

"Why is that so hard to believe? You told me I needed a nice normal girl," He smirked. "Last I checked you are nice and normal."

She gave him a shy smile, "Normal? Hitting rockstars with sporting equipment is normal?"

He laughed, "Okay, maybe that's not so normal, but I wouldn't want anyone _too_ normal, would I?"

"True, and I haven't hit anyone with athletic equipment in years," She pointed out positively.

"Good to know," he grinned.

Macy took in a nervous breath, "So, what do we do now?"

"Well, I think this is the part where I ask how you feel about me," Nick told her thoughtfully.

"Oh, well, if I told you it killed me to listen to you complain about all those girlfriends of yours in high school would that answer your question?" She answered playfully.

He nodded with a smirk, "I think so."

"Well, then it killed me to listen to you complain about all those girlfriends of yours in high school," She repeated.

He reached out to take her hand, "Would it be too weird if I asked you out right now?"

"You mean right after breaking up with your girlfriend?" She asked as she laced her fingers with his. "I don't know."

"Just so you know you don't have to worry about being a rebound. If anything _she_ was the rebound. If you can have a rebound for a crush, that is," He told her as they began to walk toward the hotel elevators hand in hand.

"Oh you can definitely have a rebound for a crush. Trust me," She answered with certainty.

"The ex-boyfriend that doesn't understand it's over was your rebound, wasn't he?" He asked knowingly.

She nodded, "And that ended about as well as you and Carson."

"Is there a point to me waiting to ask you out? I seriously doubt my feelings are going to change at this point," he said with a small insecure smile.

"It would be a waste of time to just sit around and wait because you broke up with someone you didn't really care about to begin with, wouldn't it?" Macy asked as Nick pressed the 'up' button on the elevator.

"And wasting time is highly counterproductive, don't you think?" He asked playfully.

"Oh, totally counterproductive," Macy nodded.

"So we're agreed? I should just ask you out now?" He asked.

"Ask away, Nicholas," She told him brightly.

"Macy," He said with that bright smile that left her weak. "Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?"

She let go of his hand for a moment to hug him and place a lingering kiss on his cheek, "I would love to."

* * *

_And that's the end...I hope you guys liked it. I'm thinking about writing a Joe/Stella companion for this...maybe. You guys tell me what you think...should I? Once again I want to thank **faerietale****redux** for her amazing reviews! Enjoy!_

_angellwings  
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